Coimbra to host over 200,000 people at four Coldplay concerts

The city of Coimbra is gearing up to host four Coldplay concerts over the course of the week, with an expected crowd of over 200,000, the biggest demand-driven event in Portugal ever, according to Ticketline.

The group, led by Chris Martin, takes the stage at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and the 21st, i.e. Sunday, gathering an average of 50,000 people at each of the concerts, which is more than 200,000 people a year. four scheduled concerts.

The high demand for tickets in August 2022 prompted the promoter of Everything is New to set consecutive concert dates in the city of Coimbra, where Coldplay’s European tour begins.

Access to the official “sites” for buying tickets, which ranged from €65 to €150 plus taxes, starting at €85 at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, became overwhelmed and more than 400,000 people were blocked. ticket platform.

At the time, Ticketline executive president Ana Ribeiro admitted that ticket demand for Coldplay concerts, which sold out in a matter of hours, had reached historic levels unprecedented in the country.

“This is unprecedented in Portugal, there has never been such a high demand for an event in Portugal,” he stressed.

Ticket speculation for the band’s concerts led by Chris Martin also resulted in the Food and Economic Security Administration (ASAE) detaining several people who tried to sell them at prices far in excess of their real face value.

In order for Coimbra to host these four concerts, the City Council provided in April a financial support of 440,000 euros to the organization “All New” within the framework of a cooperation protocol signed between the municipality, the promoter of “All New” and the Coimbra Academic Association – an autonomous football body (AAC/OAF).

According to the municipality, this served to “put the city on the route of major world events”, generate “media exposure” and “significantly affected the local economy”, with “the two sectors most directly benefiting were hotel and catering . industry, with obvious financial benefits.

“Equally important than the revenues and economic returns for the city is the fact that these concerts are a strategic product for tourism in Coimbra, not only because of the huge potential to attract visitors, but also because of the catalytic effect in the city. yourself, justified.

The protocol also provides that the Coimbra City Council will be responsible for replacing or repairing the stadium’s turf after the concerts and exempting the promoter of the All New show from any fee.

Voting for this support at a meeting of the municipal executive, Mayor José Manuel Silva, elected by the Juntos Somos Coimbra coalition (PSD, CDS-PP, Nós, Cidadãos!, PPM, Aliança, RIR and Volt), stressed that these concerts are “one of the best offers in the area for the city of Coimbra and its region”.

The opposition said it had no doubts about the visibility that the concerts give Coimbra, but the Socialist Party criticized the “hidden data” regarding the deal, namely the global revenue from tickets and the associated global production costs, or the amount that the promoter will pay the organizers. AAS/OAF.

On this occasion, Académica President Miguel Ribeiro confirmed in February that the club Coimbra, playing in the third tier of Portuguese football, will receive a financial contribution for the use of the stadium, “primary” for bills. this sports season, refusing, however, to disclose its significance.

Coldplay’s performance also forced the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra to undergo some improvements under the “Everything New” program, which the Mayor of Coimbra called “a huge investment”.

The director of the production company All New, Pedro Viegas, declined to disclose the value of the investment, saying only that “improvements at the structural level” are being made.

Coldplay’s presence in Coimbra also affected the date of the traditional procession, which was rescheduled from 21 May to 23 May by the organization Queima das Fitas, causing some dissatisfaction among members of the academy.

Hotel businessmen will be happier as Pedro Machado, president of the regional organization Turismo do Centro, says hotels in the Coimbra region are completely sold out.

The four Coldplay concerts will also lead to a traffic closure in part of the surrounding area of ​​the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, with special public transport routes planned.

Between 16 and 22 May (with a break between 02:00 and 23:00 on 19 May) there will be a complete cessation of pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the areas closest to the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, as well as traffic. restrictions on several roads in a wider area, where only public transport, residents, access to private property and the Alma shopping center, as well as service and bicycle companies will be allowed on concert days from 14:00 to 20:00.

There will also be bans on street selling around the perimeter of the stadium, and catering establishments will be able to sell at the gate “directly to the street or through the installation of counters at the doors of establishments on concert days.”

In order to facilitate the movement of people wishing to attend the show, the Chamber of Coimbra has strengthened the offer of lines that cover the vicinity of the stadium and will provide four special public transport routes, as well as a four-euro daily bracelet that allows travel on all buses.